Throwing Performance At An F-250

The Power Stroke 6.0L diesel engine in this '03 Ford F-350 is already a beast capable of heavy towing, hauling, and enduring daily driven abuse, but Banks Power has a power parts lineup that can tremendously increase the truck's overall performance and efficiency. We ordered up a slew of parts and brought our camera to Banks' facility to see just what we could get out of the Super Duty.

On top of the pile of goods to be installed by Banks' installation technician was the Techni-Cooler intercooler system, which is far superior than the stock system, as it features 31/2-inch, mandrel-bent, high-flow boost tubes and all-aluminum end tanks, which are vast improvements over the plastic OEM parts. The beefy High-Ram intake manifold also serves as a great passageway for a higher volume of cool, dense airflow. The hearty helping of oxygenated air that the Techni-Cooler offers improves combustion and engine efficiency in the form of increased fuel economy and higher continuous power at any given exhaust gas temperature. Also helping with cool, steady airflow is Banks' Ram-Air intake, which delivers a smooth, aerodynamic path for air to travel to the throttle-body without sharp, restricting corners or bends.

Now that cooler air was flowing in at such a rapid pace underneath the hood, allowing that air to escape through the exhaust system just as quick is key to experiencing optimum performance. Banks' Monster Exhaust system features 4-inch stainless steel piping and a straight-through muffler that offers up to 911/2 percent better flow than the stock exhaust. To top off our Ford's power upgrade package, Banks' Six-Gun tuner was brought in to calibrate the F-350's newly found horsepower and torque. Not only does the Six-Gun tuner boast gains up to 115 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque on its own, it also offers six on-the-fly power levels (seven with the optional PowerPDA) that can tune pulse width, timing, and fuel pressure.

From The Driver Seat
We knew we would see a tremendous power increase in our Super Duty after the Banks Techni-Cooler, Ram-Air intake, Monster Exhaust system, and Six-Gun tuner were installed and dialed in. With the Six-Gun ready to go, it was nice knowing that the truck could be custom-tuned based on the type of driving we planned on doing-towing, running errands around town, or simply shredding the pavement. Since there is now tons of extra horsepower and torque available on command, it's a sure bet we will be utilizing the extra muscle for both occupational and recreational purposes (read: hauling more toys and possibly exceeding speed limits.) The Ram-Air intake and Monster exhaust made a huge difference in air management, not to mention creating a truly intimidating growl. The only thing that would make our Banks performance package even sweeter would be the optional Six-Gun PowerPDA, which would allow us to monitor and record up to 17 engine parameters and even add one additional on-the-fly power level.